THE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING AND SAVING OUR ACOMA LANGUAGE

Lorissa GarciaCommunication Skills for

Applied Indigenous Studies

Northern Arizona UniversityDecember 2013

PRESENTATION

Language Policy Our History Our Acoma Language Ways We Use Our language Who Does / Doesn’t Speak Acoma & Why Can Our Acoma Language Be Taught? Writing Acoma – Good or Bad How Important Is Our Language To Us? Ways To Teach, Learn & Save Our Language Conclusion

LANGUAGE POLICY

Native Languages Act of 1990 – (Public Law 101-477)• SEC. 104. – reads (in part): It is the policy of the United States to --

• (1) preserve, protect, and promote the rights and freedom of Native Americans to use, practice, and develop Native American languages;

• (2) allow teachers to teach Native American languages (in schools/programs that receive federal funding), even if they are not certified or licensed to teach;

• (3) encourage and support the use of teaching Native American languages in order to encourage and support --• (A) Native American language survival (United States

Congress, 1990)In other words, the U.S. Government wants our language to be saved, taught and used.

WHAT MAKES US SPECIAL

Our strong cultural beliefs and value system• Important for teaching our children what’s important to our people

We practice our traditional ways and religious ceremonies• Important for younger generations to learn, use and teach their children

Our language is important in all parts of Acoma life

OUR LANGUAGE We have always spoken Keres

• 6 other Pueblos in New Mexico speak some type of Keres• Around 12,000 people speak Keres in these 7 Pueblos

We have a strong oral tradition• For most elders, Acoma is their first language• Long ago, Acoma was the only language spoken in all homes

Some of our words are borrowed from the Spanish language• Many of our last names were changed to Spanish last names• A lot of our words sound like Spanish words• The Catholic religion also influenced our language

• Many of our elders learned English and Spanish from Priests & Nuns

HOW OUR LANGUAGE IS USED We have 2 ways of speaking Acoma

• We use it in our traditional teachings and religious doings• Prayers• Life & Seasonal cycles• Songs• Advisement

• We use it when talking to each other• In our homes• At family events• At community events

Many words are used in both ways

- “There are many instances in which two synonymous words exist for the same thing. One of these words is used only in ceremonial context; the other is employed in ordinary discourse. The aggregation of words restricted to ritual use constitutes a special ceremonial vocabulary, a vital instrument in the religious and ceremonial life of the Pueblos” (White, 1944, p.167).

OUR LANGUAGE TODAY There are fewer Acoma people who speak our language

• There was a time when people were punished for talking Acoma• Outsiders came to Acoma• Many of our people were forced to go to boarding school

Age of our fluent speakers• Elders are the main ones who know how to speak and use our language

Many of us no longer live in homes with other family members or with our grandparents• Young parents who don’t speak or understand Acoma live in their own homes

• When this happens kids learn English first, because they don’t hear Acoma every day Younger generations are different than the older ones

• Many young people don’t practice our traditional ways• Young people need to see things to learn them• Most young people use computers, videos, and games to learn

CAN OUR LANGUAGE BE TAUGHT? – YES, IT CAN! International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)

• Letters and symbols that make the sounds of words• Can be used to write and teach our language

Home-based writing class for Acoma people who want to learn• Laura V. Garcia, teacher

• Studied IPA for 20+ years• Took IPA symbols to come up with letters and sounds that are

found in our language• Classes teach students how to use language with family &

community members• Her husband, Elardo, helps make sure students say the words

right and tells them what the words mean, if Mrs. Garcia doesn’t know

• Class is taught twice a week for two hours each session• Students take turns having the classes in their homes, so no building

is needed

TEACHING & WRITING ACOMA – GOOD & BADWHY ACOMA SHOULDN’T BE WRITTEN: We have always taught our language by

speaking it to our kids We don’t want our religion being taught

or learned away from Acoma Our young people don’t want to learn

our language• They only want to play video games

and use their cell phones and computers

We don’t want outsiders to learn our language

WHY ACOMA SHOULD BE WRITTEN: We want Acoma to be spoken in our home We want to hear Acoma being spoken in

our community We want kids to learn to speak Acoma

before they learn to speak English We want our people to say the words right Many people learn better when they SEE &

hear words If EVERYONE writes Acoma the SAME way

EVERY TIME, it will be easier to teach & learn it

We want ALL of our people to understand & talk Acoma

As a teacher for over 40 years, I found out that young people learn more when they see and write things, not just hear them. Seeing the words in writing over and over, plus hearing them can help many of our people learn to speak Acoma.We can’t keep changing the way our words are written, because if it keeps changing it makes it harder to learn them.

- L.V. Garcia

IS OUR ACOMA

LANGUAGE IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO

TEACH?

I think we can all agree that

it is.

So, what needs to happen?

WAYS TO TEACH, LEARN & SAVE OUR LANGUAGE Use a single way (IPA) to teach written Acoma

Having only one way to write words makes reading them and saying the words right a lot easier

Continue the Acoma writing class• Use students who have been in the class the longest to help teach

new classes Come up with other ways to use IPA to help students learn our

language• Dictionary

• Words and sayings with their meanings• Compact Discs (CDs)/MP3s

• This helps them hear the right way to say Acoma words• Videos

• These can show the ways we talk to each other in our houses and when we talk to other Acoma people

YOU have to want to learn your language in order for any teaching method to help you. I just happen to think that for visual learners, seeing the symbols, learning the sounds they make and putting the two together is helpful and makes learning easier. - L. V.G., teacher

I figure that if I know how important it is for young, Acoma people, all Acoma people for that matter, to know our language and if I have a way to help them learn, then it’s my job to teach them - even if it’s a few at a time, because a few is better than none. -L. V.G., teacher

Without Mr. and Mrs. Garcia, I wouldn’t be able to share our language with my children, but more important than that, I wouldn’t be able to why it’s so important to our culture and our people. - A. M., student

CONCLUSION Our language makes us who we are – it makes us Acoma!

• We use our language in our homes and when we see each other• We use it in our traditional ways and ceremonies

We hardly hear little kids and young people talking Acoma, only the elders• In order to save our language and teach young people and non-

speakers how to speak it, something has to be done There are many ways to save our language

• CONTINUE TEACHING IT• HEAR IT• UNDERSTAND IT• WRITE IT• READ IT• SPEAK IT, EVERYDAY – EVERYWHERE!

THANK YOU –

Acoma Pueblo community Laura & Elardo Garcia Acoma writing class participants Google Images

For more information –

Lorissa Garcia – gui ti yai ts’a✏ Email: lg.acoma@hotmail.com✏ Address: P.O. Box 374 – Acoma, NM 87034☏ Phone #: (928) 814-5017